Consistent and small leaks often go undetected in a home and can cause significant mold buildup and property damage because accessing various areas of the home where leaks are likely to occur is difficult due to the constraints of visibility and real time monitoring. An example of such an area is underneath a dishwasher where access is very limited and the space constraints make it difficult to install most if not all available market offerings for leak detection devices. Most leak detectors on the market are considered spot leak detectors and are limited in their ability to address consistent/intermittent small and slow leaks where the affected area is not widespread enough to have water come into contact with the leak sensors. Spot leak detectors also have form factor constraints due to the casings that house the onboard leak detection circuitry. Placement of these spot leak detection devices is a problem with appliances such as dishwashers, ice machines, and refrigeration products because it often requires arduous removal and installation. Some strip sensors utilize a form factor that must be placed around the perimeter of the suspected leak zone which can be ineffective if a leaking fluid has a path of least resistance other than the aforementioned perimeter contact strip setup. There are also leak sensing probes that take on a rope-like characteristic and can be placed underneath certain suspected leak sources but these sensing probes also lack the ability to detect small leaks that do not collect into larger pools of water.
Water meters have been on the market for a considerable period of time and vary in application for industrial, commercial, and residential use. Meters can vary also in the type of technology used to measure the flow of water. Some meters are connected to internal networks and others are connected to external networks for data analysis and system control. Most systems are managed using proprietary software and communication methods. These types of connected meters aren't affordable enough for consumers to implement and have typically been installed by water utility providers at the street where residential and commercial consumption data is controlled and billed by the utility provider. Standard utility meter consumption data is usually checked by a field service worker about once every 60 days, and then averaged to bill based off of tiered rates. The standard utility meter is very reliable with a long service life and very low maintenance needs. However these meters can age and lose accuracy over time. They can sometimes be calibrated but are rarely maintained for accuracy. Their internal components can deteriorate as well as contribute to water contamination. Most of these meters are not connected to publicly available networks for data analysis and end user control. Only 20% of street meters in the United States are considered network-connected meters. Most water utility providers have financial budget constraints that make the adoption of smart metering technology difficult and costly to implement.
Street meters often do not provide other valuable insight for the usage and real time conditions of the water supply like pressure and temperature. Most street meters also have a mechanical shut off valve built into the water supply line but can be difficult to shut off without the proper equipment. Pressure regulators located inside a building's structure are adjusted to control supply pressure from the water utility provider. Most pressure regulators are not remotely monitored or controlled, and therefore it is not known when failure is occurring or likely to occur. Failures like pipe bursts, water loss, and water leaks are not properly monitored or controlled by water utility providers making it costly for commercial and residential end users. The liability for water damage and loss remains the sole responsibility of the end user if the sources of the damage or loss occurs in the water conduits after the utility street meters. This cost can be overwhelming for homeowners, commercial property owners, and insurance companies.
Regarding water filtration, according to a World Health Organization/UNICEF report, some 2.1 billion people lack water at home that is free of bacterial contamination and is available when needed, that sets a baseline against which the world will measure progress toward the sustainable development goals for drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. Most homeowners and commercially managed properties rely heavily on water filtration in addition to water treatment performed by the water utility treatment facilities. However, aging utilities infrastructure is making it difficult to control the quality of the water consumed by the end user.